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Minor Fictional Characters in The War Between the Provinces
This article lists the various minor fictional characters who appear in The War Between the Provinces series. These characters are identified by name or profession, but play at best a peripheral role in the series. Some were simply mentioned or had a very brief, unimportant speaking role that did not impact the plot, and never appeared again. =Posthumous references= These characters died before the first chapter of Sentry Peak, and as such, their "appearances" in the series are limited to posthumous references. Buchan of Detina Buchan was King of Detina. He was succeeded at death by his son Avram, precipitating a major succession crisis when eleven northern provinces - with which Buchan had long sympathized despite his Southron roots - rebelled against the new king, who was dedicated to ending the institution of serfdom. Literary Comment Buchan is based on James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln's predecessor as President of the United States. Buchanan was notoriously indifferent to the question of slavery. Daniel the Weaver Daniel the Weaver was a Detinan statesman. Ten years before the Detinan Civil War, he worked with Henry Feet of Clay and John the Typhoon to reach a compromise that headed off a war over serfdom by satisfying both northern nobles and King Zachary the Rough and Ready. The spirit of compromise was short-lived, and war occurred with the ascension of King Avram to the throne after his father Buchan's death. Literary comment Daniel the Weaver is based on Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts. Henry Feet of Clay Henry Feet of Clay was a Detinan statesman. Ten years before the Detinan Civil War, he worked with Daniel the Weaver and John the Typhoon to work out a compromise that headed off a war over serfdom by satisfying both northern nobles and King Zachary the Rough and Ready. The compromise was short-lived, and the war occurred with the ascension of King Avram to the throne. Literary comment Henry Feet of Clay is based on Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky. Hesmucet (blond) Hesmucet was a blond king. During the War of 1218, Hesmucet led his army against the ethnic Detinans before they had become firmly established as the rulers of the continent. Hesmucet frustrated the expansionist intentions of the Detinans for a long time but was ultimately killed in battle. The famous Detinan general Hesmucet was named for him. Literary comment Hesmucet is based on the Shawnee chieftain Tecumseh, who fought the United States during the War of 1812. Hesmucet is Tecumseh spelled backwards. Tecumseh was also the middle name of William Sherman, on whom The War Between the Provinces series' "main" Hesmucet is based. John the Typhoon John the Typhoon was a Detinan statesman. Ten years before the Detinan Civil War, he worked with Henry Feet of Clay and Daniel the Weaver to work out a compromise that headed off a war over serfdom by satisfying both northern nobles and King Zachary the Rough and Ready. The spirit of compromise was short-lived and war occurred with the ascension of King Avram to the throne. Literary Comment John the Typhoon is based on Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. Kermit Great King Kermit was an emperor on the continent across the Western Ocean from Detina. Fifty years before the Detinan Civil War, Kermit waged war against other western kingdoms to expand his empire. His efforts were met with tremendous initial success, and he established a reputation as one of the world's all-time greatest military geniuses. However, he attempted to invade the massive southern kingdom of Sorb during a particularly brutal winter. His forces reached the Sorbian capital of Pahzbull but were forced into retreat, and his army never recovered from the massive casualties it sustained on that retreat. More men were lost to starvation and winter than to Sorbian and allied counteroffensives. Literary Note Great King Kermit is very closely based on the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The name "Kermit" is probably a reference to the French as "frogs." The nation which Kermit ruled is not given a name. Lemon Count Lemon was a figure from Detina's distant past. His courthouse was set up in a fortress in Parthenia Province, which became the nucleus of the city of Lemon's Justiciary.Sentry Peak, p. 55. Thomas the Brick Wall Thomas the Brick Wall was a wing commander in the Army of Southern Parthenia. He was considered by some second only to his superior, Duke Edward of Arlington, as the greatest general who followed "King" Geoffrey's rebellion against King Avram. At the Battle of Viziersville, Thomas and Edward conceived and executed a daring plan to rout Fighting Joseph's loyal forces despite being severely outnumbered. Unfortunately, while reconnoitering near the front, Thomas was accidentally shot by his own men and mortally wounded. Literary Comment Thomas the Brick Wall is based on Thomas Jackson, the "Stonewall". Zachary the Rough and Ready King Zachary the Rough and Ready was a former King of Detina. He reigned ten years before the Civil War began. During his reign, he narrowly managed to stave off a war over serfdom by accepting a compromise proposed by Daniel the Weaver, Henry Feet of Clay, and John the Typhoon. Zachary had been dead for a number of years when the war began, but members of his family, who somehow had not inherited the throne from their ancestor, remained prominent in the Detinan aristocracy. Literary Comment Zachary the Rough and Ready is modeled on Zachary Taylor, an antebellum President of the United States (in office March 1849 - July 1850), whose nickname during the Mexican War was "Old Rough and Ready." =Direct appearances and contemporary references= These characters were still alive during the first chapter of Sentry Peak, although some did not remain alive for very long after that. Some made direct appearances in the series, others were only referenced as being still alive, and a few were referenced as having just died. Barre (Advance and Retreat) Barre was an actor residing in Georgetown, Detina during the closing days of the Civil War. He was the younger brother of Handsome Edwin. He was an outspoken opponent of King Avram's policies regarding blonds and the subjugation of the rebellious provinces. Some urged his arrest for treason, but Avram's laws forbade the abridgement of a man's right to speak his mind as long as he caused no harm. Brigadier John the Lister was shocked when he heard Barre unleash a tirade one evening at the House of the Rat, which contained the exclamation "Thus always to tyrants!" Marshal Bart insisted that Barre was nothing but wind and air, and that his incarceration would cause more harm than a free Barre would ever cause.Advance and Retreat, p. 376-377. Literary comment Barre is based on John Wilkes Booth, the actor who murdered President Abraham Lincoln in the waning days of the American Civil War, and was killed by pursuing soldiers two weeks later. The fictional analog's name is a reference to the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In-universe, Avram's and Barre's fates remain unrevealed. Brinton the Bold (A&R) Brinton the Bold was the General of King Avram's armies in the west for most of the first two years of the Detinan Civil War. Brinton was handsome and brave, and won a few small victories early in the war. But he moved with the speed of a tortoise, belying his presumptuous nickname. Avram once asked, half seriously, if he could borrow the army as Brinton was not making use of it. After failing to defeat the rebels definitively, Brinton left the army. Two years later, he roamed the south making speeches that fell just short of treasonous, suggest he would make a better king than Avram. But for the long-standing Detinan tradition of free speech, Brinton would have been crucified near the Black Palace.Advance and Retreat, p. 41. Literary comment Brinton is closely based on George Brinton McClellan. Brown (Sentry Peak-A&R) Duke Brown was a northern Detinan nobleman. He supported Grand Duke Geoffrey's rebellion against the kingdom and was rewarded with an appointment as satrap of his home province of Peachtree Province. However, Geoffrey came to regret the appointment, as Brown was a thoroughly independent-minded satrap. He resisted Joseph the Gamecock's attempts to conscript his militia into the Army of Franklin. An exasperated Joseph declared that he would defend Brown's province whether the satrap wanted him to or not. Literary comment Brown is based on Governor Joseph Brown of Georgia, who had a famously antagonistic relationship with Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government. Cabell of Broken Ridge (Sentry Peak) Duke Cabell of Broken Ridge backed Geoffrey's claim to the kingship of northern Detina during the Civil War. Literary comment Cabell is based on John Cabell Breckinridge. Early the Jubilant (Marching Through Peachtree), (A&R) Earl Early the Jubilant was an officer in the army of "King" Geoffrey. In the days when the Army of Southern Parthenia was being pushed back to the northern part of its home province, and the Army of Franklin was being pushed back to Peachtree, Early led his troops in an attack on Georgetown itself.Marching Through Peachtree, p. 181. His raid failed to penetrate the city, and he subsequently failed to protect an agricultural valley in Parthenia from being burned by Southron forces. For these defeats, he received the pessimistic nickname of Jubal the Late.Advance and Retreat, p. 372. Some speculation is necessary to explain the blatant inconsistency. Literary comment Early aka Jubal is based on Confederate General Jubal Early. Handsome Edwin Handsome Edwin was an actor based in Georgetown, Detina during the closing days of the Detinan Civil War. Unlike his younger brother Barre, Edwin was not known for an unhealthy obsession with King Avram's less popular policies.Advance and Retreat, p. 376. Literary comment Edwin is based on Edwin Booth. Gleb (MTP) Gleb was a soldier in King Avram's army. When assigned by his corporal Rollant to fetch water for the unit, he refused to take orders from a blond. Hiram the Cranberry Hiram the Cranberry was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He was notable for his extremely ruddy complexion. He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of Lieutenant General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, Hiram the Cranberry sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was killed. Literary Comment Hiram the Cranberry is based on Confederate Brigadier General Hiram Granberry, also spelled Granbury. Innkeeper at Whiteside (SP) The innkeeper at the Whiteside establishment where General Guildenstern stayed on his way to the Rising Rock front, was visibly vexed that he had to pay his blond employees who were no longer serfs. Ironically, he took gleeful pleasure in reminding Guildenstern of this fact. When the General asked for a girl (specifically Lindy) to warm his bed, the innkeeper reminded the conqueror that Guildenstern's own martial success had ensured, she was now free to refuse him if she saw fit.Sentry Peak, chapter I. Inward (A&R) "Inward" was the alias of a mage from the mother kingdom who anonymously wrote a controversial hypothesis. He claimed that the gods created lower creatures than humans and other modern animals, and let them vie for supremacy of the physical universe without intervening on behalf of early man or anyone else. The notion was condemned as heretical by most mages, and many threats were made against "Inward," which is why he went to lengths to keep his identity secret. Alva believed in Inward's theory. He was tolerated because of his sorcerous skill and because he was believed to be just as strange. Literary comment Inward is based on British naturalist Charles Darwin, famous for his Theory of Evolution. The word "Inward" is an anagram of the name "Darwin." Jeb the Beauty/Steward (MTP) Jeb the Beauty (also called Jeb the Steward'see: ''Inconsistencies in Turtledove's Work#Inconsistencies in The War Between the Provinces) was the commander of unicorn-riders for the Army of Southern Parthenia. He ranked alongside Ned of the Forest as one of the greatest unicorn-rider commanders in "King" Geoffrey's service until he was killed in action during Marshal Bart's campaign against Duke Edward of Arlington. The commanders in the Army of Franklin, suffering from the lack of such a commander in their own army, mourned his loss. Literary Comment Jeb is based on Jeb Stuart, Robert E. Lee's protégé and the longtime cavalry commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. John of Barsoom (A&R) '''John of Barsoom was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, John of Barsoom sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was killed. Literary comment John of Barsoom is based on Confederate general John C. Carter. John Carter is also the name of the narrator of Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars and of some of its sequels. In the books, Carter travels to the planet Mars and learns that people who live there call it Barsoom. Incidentally, the fictional John Carter was also a Confederate veteran. John the Hierophant John the Hierophant was a general in the Detinan Army during the Detinan Civil War. He was defeated by Edward of Arlington at the Second Battle of Cow Jog. His defeat was humiliating, and he lost King Avram's confidence as a result. He was sent out to the eastern frontier for the remainder of the war, soon to be followed by General Guildenstern. Officers of the southron army shivered at the fate of the two generals. Literary Comment John the Hierophant is based on United States Army General John Pope. A Hierophant was a chief priest in some Ancient Greek polytheist religions, whereas the Pope is the chief priest of Catholicism. Josh (MTP) Josh was a soldier in King Avram's army. When assigned by his corporal Rollant to fetch water for the unit, he made no objection to taking orders from a blond, in stark contrast to his teammate Gleb. Jubal the Late See Early the Jubilant. Lindy (SP) Lindy was a blond woman, recently liberated from serfdom by King Avram's army, who worked in an inn in Whiteside, Franklin Province. The conquering General Guildenstern found her more attractive than her fellow employee Vetty.Sentry Peak, chapter I. Logan the Black (M&P, A&R) Baron Logan the Black was a Detinan officer who served with the loyal forces during the Detinan Civil War. He was the senior brigadier of James the Bird's Eye's wing of Hesmucet's army. Upon the death of James outside Marthasville, Logan assumed temporary command of the wing. He handled it capably but was disappointed when Hesmucet declined to make his wing command permanent, as he was a volunteer officer who had not been trained at the officers' collegium at Annasville. Literary Comment Logan is based on United States general and congressman John A. Logan of Illinois. Mead Drinker A southron general who was known for drinking mead commanded forces loyal to King Avram in western Detina during the Detinan Civil War. Despite rumors that he was overly fond of this beverage, the general managed to defeat the vaunted Northern Duke Edward of Arlington at the Battle of Essoville, forever stripping the Army of Southern Parthenia of its aura of invincibility. Literary Comment This character's proper name is never given. The reference to his drinking mead is a pun on the name of Union General George Meade, whose Army of the Potomac defeated Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the first decisive victory over that army. Norina (SP-A&R) Norina was a blond woman from New Eborac City. Her family had been free from feudal ties for a few generations. She married Rollant the carpenter, an escaped serf from Palmetto Province, and they had two children.Sentry Peak, p. 17. When the Detinan Civil War began, Rollant enlisted in the army to put down the rebellion and put an end to serfdom. Throughout his military service, Rollant remained faithful to Norina, refusing the favors of prostitutes and other loose women.The War Between the Provinces, generally. Oliver (MTP) Oliver was a brigadier in the Detinan Army during the Detinan Civil War. He commanded the wing of Fighting Joseph's army at Viziersville that gave way in front of a daring Northern attack. Fighting Joseph attempted to place the blame for the debacle at Oliver's feet, and Oliver blamed Joseph just as enthusiastically. When Hesmucet promoted Oliver to command the wing of his army formerly led by the late James the Bird's Eye, Fighting Joseph, who thought James's wing should be disbanded and its troops divided between himself and Doubting George, vaingloriously threatened to resign in protest. He was shocked when Hesmucet accepted. Oliver assumed command of the wing and commanded it ably. He also alienated his fellow wing commanders by not attempting to hide his disapproval of what he perceived to be their moral inadequacies. Literary Comment Oliver is closely based on General Oliver Otis Howard. Like Howard, he was missing his right arm. Otho the Troll (A&R) Otho the Troll was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin, a brigade which included Florizel's regiment from Palmetto Province. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, Otho the Troll sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was killed. Literary Comment Otho is based on Confederate Brigadier General Otho F. Strahl. Peegeetee of Goodlook (A&R) Marquis Peegeetee of Goodlook was a Northern Detinan who followed "King" Geoffrey during the Detinan Civil War. He held several field commands, including the seizure of Sumptuous Castle in Karlsburg Harbor, Palmetto Province that marked the formal separation of the eleven provinces which followed Geoffrey from the rest of the kingdom, and along with Joseph the Gamecock had commanded the Northern forces at the first battle of Cow Jog. Afterward, his fortunes had dropped somewhat, and he was not considered among the North's best commanders. When Leonidas the Priest suggested to Geoffrey that Peegeetee replace Thraxton the Braggart as commander of the Army of Franklin, Geoffrey dismissed Peegeetee as not holding his trust. However, Peegeetee was sufficiently in Geoffrey's good graces to become a denizen of Nonesuch and to act as something of a royal courier to Geoffrey's armies in the field. He visited Bell to warn the other general that he was in danger of losing Geoffrey's favor. Literary Note Peegeetee is based very closely on Confederate General Pierre Gustave Toutant (P.G.T.) de Beauregard (1818-1893), one of the highest ranked generals in the Confederate States Army. Pembert Pembert was a Detinan from a Southern province. Despite his roots, he married a Parthenian woman and followed "King" Geoffrey during the Detinan Civil War. Pembert became a general in Geoffrey's army and commanded the Northern forces in Camphorville, Geoffrey's last port on the Great River. After a long siege by General Bart's forces, Pembert surrendered the port. He lost his active command. Several months later, when James of Broadpath, Dan of Rabbit Hill, and Leonidas the Priest asked Geoffrey to replace Thraxton the Braggart with another general, after refusing to replace him with Edward of Arlington, Joseph the Gamecock, or Peegeetee of Goodlook, Geoffrey offered to send Pembert to command the army. The wing commanders were horrified; Pembert was perhaps the one general of whom they had an even lower opinion than they did of Thraxton. Dan of Harvey Hill predicted that the troops would mutiny against Pembert if Geoffrey installed him. They asked him to leave Thraxton in command instead. Given Geoffrey's penchant for protecting generals who enjoyed his friendship - and this included Thraxton - it is likely that Geoffrey intentionally offered an unacceptable commander to Thraxton's discontented wing commanders as a way of ending their campaign to replace Thraxton. Literary Comment Pembert is closely based on John C. Pemberton, a Pennsylvanian whose Southern wife convinced him to join the Confederate States during the American Civil War. Pemberton surrendered the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, after a long siege by General Ulysses S. Grant. Provincial Prerogative (A&R) Provincial Prerogative was an officer in "King" Geoffrey's army during the Detinan Civil War. He was named after an ideology beloved in the north, which was one of the chief causes of the Detinan Civil War. He commanded a brigade in the Army of Franklin. Like many of his colleagues, he chafed under the command of General Bell, who gave reckless orders and then blamed his subordinates for their failure. After being accused of cowardice by Bell before the Battle of Ramblerton, Provincial Prerogative sought to redeem himself by not shying away from danger, and as a result, he was killed. Literary comment Provincial Prerogative is based on Confederate States Army General States' Rights Gist, who was killed during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign in November 1864. Richard the Haberdasher (A&R) Richard the Haberdasher was a Detinan earl. He was the brother-in-law of Grand Duke Geoffrey and a relative of King Zachary the Rough and Ready. He served in Geoffrey's army as a general during the Detinan Civil War. He was given command of the remnant of the Army of Franklin that managed to extricate itself from Bell's failed invasion of Franklin Province. Richard took command in an impossible situation. Nevertheless, he maintained order in his army as well as he could. He impressed Ned of the Forest, who was famously hostile to aristocrats whom he suspected of rising through the ranks by nepotism. Literary Note Richard the Haberdasher is based on Confederate General Richard Taylor, the son of US President Zachary Taylor and brother-in-law of Jefferson Davis. Thert the Butler (MTP) Thert the Butler was a Northern Detinan, a handsome man with jug-handled ears. He was staying in the city of Marthasville, Peachtree Province when Hesmucet's forces took the city from the Army of Franklin. A female acquaintance of his frantically declared that she had to return to her family's estate of Traa, which had been captured by the Southrons weeks earlier. Thert attempted to discourage her from undertaking a hazardous trip, albeit rudely, and was rewarded with a kick in the shin. He was unable to finish his sentence "Frankly my dear, I don't give a..." He became so enmeshed in a quarrel with this woman that he hardly even noticed that the Detinan soldier who ordered him to clear the roadway in which he and the woman were fighting was a blond. Literary Comment Thert the Butler is based on Rhett Butler, a character in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. The description of Thert broadly resembles Clark Gable's portrayal of Rhett in the 1939 film. It logically follows that Thert's female companion is based on Scarlett O'Hara, the long-time love-hate of Rhett's life. Vetty (SP) Vetty was a blond woman, recently liberated from serfdom by King Avram's army, who worked in an inn in Whiteside, Franklin Province. The conquering General Guildenstern did not find her as attractive as her fellow employee Lindy.Sentry Peak, chapter I. References Category:Minor Characters Category:The War Between the Provinces Characters